November 2007 Hip Hop News

So much for official release dates. Forthcoming albums from Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah and Beanie Sigel have all leaked on the net, in some cases more than a week before they were scheduled to drop.

Wu veteran Ghostface Killah is set to drop his seventh solo disc, The Big Doe Rehab, on December 4, but eager fans can now listen to the release online.

The follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed Fishscale and More Fish features guest spots from DJ Kid Capri and Wu Brethren Raekwon, Method Man and U-God.

Originally, Ghost was slated to go head-to-head with the Wu-tang Clan comeback album, 8 Diagrams, though the Wu were pushed back to December 11.

host said he was unconcerned about the potential matchup with the Clan, and couldn't even co-sign the Wu album because he disliked Rza's creative direction

Ghost was the latest to call out the Wu mastermind for the album's questionable sound. As SOHH previously reported, Raekwon recently put Rza on blast for orchestral, guitar-laden beats that didn't rep the Wu brand.

Creative differences aside, the Wu's first album in six years will officially drop on December 11, the same day Beanie Sigel will release The Solution. Both albums also recently leaked. Beanie's latest features guest spots from R. Kelly, Scarface and Styles P.

Beanie's release comes on the heels of the latest from his State Property cohort Freeway, whose Free At Last debuted at No. 42 this week, selling 36,000 copies in its first week out.

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After a turbulent year British soul singer, Amy Winehouse, recently announced that she is cancelling the remainder of her UK tour, apparently not wanting to complete the dates without her incarcerated husband.

Winehouse announced the end of her touring plans in a statement released earlier this week after talks with her management and other tour officials. The meeting reportedly came to a close with the singer "collapsing in floods of tears" and demanding that her remaining tour dates be shelved because she couldn't cope without husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Civil was recently arrested by authorities in East London, for allegedly trying to manipulate a witness in his upcoming trial for an assault charge in 2006. A spokesperson for Winehouse said that the cancellation was at the advice of a doctor.

"I can't give it my all onstage without my Blake," Winehouse said. "I'm so sorry but I don't want to do the shows half-heartedly; I love singing. My husband is everything to me and without him it's just not the same."

A source close to the matter reported that Winehouse was, "In a terrible state in London. She looked awful and had been in floods of tears. She was fragile and weak like an old woman. It was depressing to watch. When the tour was cancelled it was like a weight lifted off her shoulders immediately." The singer still had a remaining eight dates left on the tour, which would have come to a close at Brixton Academy in London on December 17.

The two newlyweds have had their share of both highly publicized issues in the media as well as legal troubles, most recently when the couple was arrested for marijuana possession in October. Winehouse and Civil-Fielder were arrested at a hotel in Bergen Norway along with another unnamed British acquaintance, but were released soon after following a payment of $715 in fines.

This is also not the first time that fans hoping to catch the singer live will be left high and dry. Earlier this year Winehouse postponed her upcoming North American tour until 2008.

"Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates." a statement from her American label, Universal, read.

Both the record label as well as personal representatives for the artist have expressed concerns for her health amongst a whirl wind of rumors and speculation of the singer's use of drugs

Refunds for those who purchased tickets to the remaining shows are scheduled to be issued to fans at the locations where they were purchased.

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Busta Rhymes Talks New J Dilla Mixtape, "He Left So Much Incredible Music Behind W/ Me"

Cleveland favorite DJ Mick Boogie and rap superstar Busta Rhymes plan to keep alive the legacy of iconic music producer J Dilla with their newest mixtape compilation "Dillagence."

Scheduled for online release today (November 27) "Dillagence" promises to unveil both classic Dilla beats as well as previously unheard gems alongside Busta Rhymes vocal stylings.

"Mick is a real underground hip-hop historian," Busta told SOHH of the project. "When he brought this concept to the table, I felt like the timing was right to rep the late great J-Dilla."

"Busta and I had worked together on his "King of the Remixes" CD and I felt like this would be a next logical step for us, plus I always wanted to do something Dilla related, and with him and Busta being so close, this was perfect," Mick Boogie added.

Detroit producer J.Dilla, whose real name was James Yancey, was a founding member of Slum Village, who, along with Busta, produced numerous hits for artists including Erykah Badu, The Pharcyde, D'Angelo, De La Soul and Common. He tragically passed away in 2006 from complications from Lupus.

The "Dillagence" project received a true seal of approval from Dilla's mother, Ms. Yancey, who appears on the mixtape's introduction. Much of the previously unreleased material however, came from Busta's personal collection.

"He left so much incredible music behind with me personally," Busta revealed. "It's almost like he knew I was a vessel for him, and would able to continue to champion his movement. What Dilla did was something that could not be duplicated. He was a one of one. There is no other way to sum it up."

"The stuff Busta had in the vault was incredible," Mick Boogie added. "Some of it is real raw, almost unmastered, demo-stuff... but just crazy."

The project, titled "Dillagence," like the previously recorded DJ Spinna/Phonte song, will precede Busta's soon to be released 8^th studio album Back On My Bullsh*t. Rhymes told SOHH that Dilla will definitely make his mark on his new album, due out in early 2008, as well.

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Black Mafia Family Kingpin Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering, Drug Charges

by Brandi Hopper

The leader of the Black Mafia Family (BMF) pled guilty yesterday (November 20) to heading a criminal enterprise including drug distribution and money laundering.

BMF honcho Demetrius Flenory, also known as Big Meech, entered his guilty plea in United States District Court in his hometwon city of Detroit, the city from which he hails, before Judge Avern Cohn, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's official website.

The 39-year-old drug king pin said that from 1990 through 2005 he led BMF in large scale distribution of controlled substances, mainly cocaine, collecting millions of dollars in cash off the sales of narcotics.

He washed the money in real estate purchases and bought vehicles and jewelry with the cash

According to the terms of the plea bargain, Flenory agreed to pay back $270,000,000 and faces 30 years in prison. A sentencing hearing has not been set.

Flenory's brother, Terry Flenory and five other defendants are still scheduled for trial on November 26. 41 defendants have been indicted along with the brothers and 32 have pleaded guilty.

Jacob the Jeweler (born Jacob Arobov) was arrested on charges of conspiring to commit money laundering of reportedly up to $270 million for BMF through his Jacob & Co. business. He pled to a lesser charge.

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Jay-Z recently announced plans to drop an a cappella version of his American Gangster album.

The instrumental free American Gangster will be available on Hov's born day - December 4 - the same date as releases from Ghostface Killa, Wyclef Jean and DJ Drama.

Hov previously released an a cappella version of 2003's The Black Album which eventually helped launch Gnarls Barkley producer Danger Mouse into the spotlight.

Danger Mouse was among a number of DJ's and producers to use the acappella for a mashup - his project The Grey Album set Jigga's vocals over unauthorized samples from The Beatles.

The a cappella version of The Black Album spawned numerous remix albums, including Hov's collaboration with Linkin Park for Collision Course, the Mike Shinoda-produced set that remains the only Black Album remix to get an official stamp of approval from Jay-Z.

It's still too early to guess how producers and DJ's will put the American Gangster a cappella's to use, but with December 4 right around the corner time will soon tell.

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A former associate of Sean "Diddy" Combs filed a motion to keep the Bad Boy honcho from passing out FBI interrogation records in which it appears that an informant somehow links the associate to the shooting of the late Tupac Shakur.

James Sabatino once worked as a consultant for Bad Boy Entertainment. As previously reported, Sabatino filed a $19 million lawsuit against Puff last month, alleging the mogul never paid him for certain B.I.G. tracks recorded right before the late rapper's death.

Now, Sabatino, who is incarcerated in a Pennsylvania prison on unrelated fraud charges, is accusing Puff of going on a smear campaign, distributing FBI reports that make Sabatino look suspect concerning Pac's murder, according to the Associated Press.

Reports detail an FBI interview that took place more than six years after Tupac's death, wherein an unidentified source who knew both the rapper and Sabatino claimed he was there at Quad Studios when the shooting took place in 1994.

The informant went on to say that Sabatino didn't appear to be fazed when they heard gunshots from the studio. And when a bloodied Pac appeared, Sabatino yelled, "Get that piece of @#!* out of here!''

Tupac was due in court the very next day for the verdict in his sexual assault case. According to the informant, Sabatino said the rapper needed to be "dealt with" before he went to jail.

Tupac survived that shooting, but was shot and killed two years later in a drive-by in Las Vegas.

"He had nothing to do with either of the shootings--Tupac Shakur or Christopher Wallace, who he considered a dear friend,'' said Renee Morrison, a spokeswoman for Sabatino's Florida-based company, Sound Storm Entertainment.

Two FBI investigation records are included in the filing. In one, the informant is described as someone who met Tupac through Sabatino. In the other, the informant is described as someone who met Diddy through Sabatino.

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Mos Def has tapped longtime friend Kanye West to work on his upcoming album under his new label contract with Downtown Recordings.

According to Billboard, Mos, who recently signed to Downtown, has begun to work on the disc and has enlisted the Louis Vuitton Don to produce several tracks. The two have worked together numerous times in the past including Mos lending guest verses to Ye on the tracks "Two Words" from The College Dropout and "Drunk and Hot Girls" from Kanye's latest set Graduation. Kanye has also laid tracks for the Brooklyn-bred lyricist previously including "Sunshine" from Mos' The New Danger.

Downtown label head John Deutsch said the imprint, whose roster includes Gnarls Barkley and Kevin Michael, has no plans of re-releasing Mos Def's latest offering, Tru3 Magic. The disc received virtually no promotion from Geffen Records and in result only managed to move 86,000 units.

In addition to working on the new disc, Mos also is said to have eight movie roles in the works through 2009, including a part in the Danny Glover-directed film "Toussaint."

In related news, according to Entertainment Tonight, in wake of the passing of his mother Dr. Donda West, Kanye has cancelled his performance at the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which was scheduled to tape yesterday (November 15). The show will air without Ye on December 4 on CBS.

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DJ Drama Advises Mixtape DJ's, "Stop F**kin' Makin' Lil' Wayne Tapes Every Other Day"

DJ Drama is back and preparing for the release of his first official major label effort entitled, what else, Gangsta Grillz: The Album. SoHipHop caught up with the self-proclaimed "iPod King" as he discussed T.I.'s plans to keep his throne and his distaste for the current mixtape market.

Drama, who is not only Grand Hustle's official DJ but a close, personal friend to T.I., says that he has been in contact with the label's franchise player and CEO during his recent battle with the law. Drama says that the Atlanta rapper has been taking his current situation in stride and putting his time to good use.

"Yeah I talked to Tip the other day right before he put a video out. He was good and he was cooking dinner and everything. He got a lot of time on his hands so you know he's in good spirits and everything," Drama told SOHH exclusively.

"He was doing a lot of research," Drama elaborated. "He was reading me something about TMZ, he saw even about his own case. So I think under the circumstances he's definitely staying active and you know his spirits is up. And Tip is an old soul so he handles things very well. The judicial system has to do what they do. You know we'll see what's gon' happen."

He also said that the self-proclaimed "King Of The South" has been busy recording new material while on house arrest at his Atlanta-area home and that he feels that fans are going to appreciate the new songs that are slated to be a part of T.I.'s forthcoming album.

"Yeah he had just started working," Drama said. "I had asked him if he had started recording. He was just writing right then [and] I'm sure you know that it's definitely going to be something that people will be interested in. It's going to come out crazy. 'Cause you know right now it's his main focus so I'm excited."

The spin doctor, who's made a name for himself throughout the South from the success of his "Gangsta Grillz" mixtape series also expressed his dislike with what he feels is an over saturation and lack of originality currently in the mixtape game.

"For the younger DJ's or the ones that may not have the attention that DJ Drama has I would just say keep doing your thing and stop f**kin makin' Lil Wayne tapes every other day," Drama explained. "I mean just get creative you know? I mean it's not a comment on Wayne. You know Wayne is feeding the people so of course people are definitely interested in him, but from a DJ's perspective it's like by you putting Lil' Wayne on your cover every week and putting out the last songs that he's had out for the last three months."

DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz: The Album, featuring guest spots from T.I., Young Jeezy, Young Buck, Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Nelly, OutKast, Lil' Wayne, Beanie Sigel and Clipse, among others, hits stores on December 4 via Grand Hustle/Atlantic.

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In the wake of the tragic death of Kanye West's mother and manager, Dr. Donda West, one of her former students and colleagues remembers her life and legacy.

West, 58, passed away on Saturday (November 10) as a result of complications from a cosmetic surgery procedure.

As news about the sudden death hit home, those who worked with West remember her warm spirit and resilience.

"Dr. West was first and foremost a parent, that was the most important responsibility she had." Quraysh Ali Lansana told SOHH exclusively. Lansana is an associate professor of English and Creative Writing at Chicago State University (CSU), where West taught for 30 years. He was a student of West as an undergraduate at CSU and later became a colleague when he joined the faculty in 2002.

"All of us [students] were her children," he said. "She was very nurturing, kind, down to Earth and real, both as an educator and as a colleague. She was just extremely good people."

Just last month Lansana brought Dr. West back to CSU to honor her with the Circle Of Friends Award for her work in education.

He remembers the former Chair of the English department as a strong willed professor who challenged her students but was always available if any one of them needed her.

"She was just the type of person that would give you a really warm smile or either a swift kick in the butt if that's what you needed, too," he says jokingly. "She was genuine."

Though Lansana says that he has not spoken with Kanye or any other family members since Dr. West's passing, he did offer a few words of encouragement for the Chicago MC.

"Know that your mom nurtured you with such love and rooted you and grounded you in what's important in this life," he said. "We're here for you."

In related news, further details have been released in Dr. West's death. According to TMZ, just weeks before she had the surgery performed, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr. Andre Aboolian, refused to operate on her because of a health condition he believed could have led to a heart attack.

Aboolian says he was to perform a tummy tuck and breast reduction on Ms. West, but told her that she needed to get clearance from an internist whom Dr. Aboolian recommended. Reportedly, West never saw that physician, and subsequently had the procedures performed by another doctor.

The website also is reporting that West was at her home when the 911 call was made. At 7:35 p.m. Saturday night (November 10), paramedics responded to a 911 call and transported West to nearby Centinela Freeman Hospital in Marinadel Rey, California. We're told it was a "sick person call." West was reportedly unresponsive and was not able to be resuscitated.

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Wu-Tang Vs Rza, "You Don't Rob Your Friends... You Might As Well Be Pimpin' Me," Says Raekwon

Raekwon is so unhappy with Rza's direction for the new Wu-Tang Clan album that he threatened to release another Wu album without fellow member Rza.

In a recent interview with Hip-Hop personality Miss Info, Rae said that he and the other members of Wu are very unhappy with Rza's heavy guitar-layden beats on the group's upcoming comeback disc, 8 Diagrams. So much so that they will come out with a follow-up album if changes aren't made to this one, or of it's not permanently shelved.

"Rza's tryin' to create too much of a orchestra, piano ...he's trying to do too much of this guitar @#!* like he got a guitar on his @#*$ing back," Raekwon said. "We don't want that and the fans don't know us for that." [Watch Here]

Rae said the rift began with musical critiques by the group members of Rza's new sound.

"This is a new sound trust me, I know where I'm at and I'm the Rza, just trust me,'" Rae said Rza told the group. "No, we're not trusting you because we're not walkin' outta the studio happy. It's his vibe. He's like a hip-hop hippie right now."

After much back and forth, According to Raekwon, Rza still refused to change the music.

"Now it's to the point where it's like, Yo B, I'm not havin it ... I'm not cosigning that," Rae said. "If you got seven or eight brothers telling you blah, blah, blah, you gotta take heed to that. You been out-voted, B."

But at this point, the group is already over budget and the album is pretty much finished. Though Rae said nobody's happy with the project except Rza, it looks like it will hit the street as is. If that happens, Rae said he and the other members will release Shaolin vs Wutang, a response album without Rza.

"We gotta strike back with something right away to let them know we wasn't in agreement with that," Raekwon said. "If this album @#*$s around and goes that way, its gonna be a big shock to the game."

Whether the artistic differences get settled before the album is pressed or not, Rae said the money situation needs to be set straight.

"Don't play with a grown man's pocket, B." Raekwon said. "At the end of the day, you may have felt like you put millions in a @#*$%'s pocket. We appreciate it, but you know what? Don't ever let a @#*$% feel like you stealin' from him or you takin' something from him or you bein' sneaky and you can't show and prove certain things."

Raekwon wasn't specific about the allegations of money mismanagement, but he as much as called Rza a thief.

"Don't rob me and be my friend," he said. "I ain't with that. You don't rob your friends," Rae said. "You might as well be pimpin' me or something. You ain't payin' me ... you ain't keeping me fresh."

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Alchemist Eager To Work W/ Eminem Again, "The Best Of Our Connection Hasn't Happened Yet"

In a recent interview, producer and Mobb Deep affiliate The Alchemist revealed that he wants to work with Eminem again.

Al served as Eminem's DJ on 2005's "Anger Management Tour" and produced a number of tracks for the posse album Eminem Presents: The Re Up, but said he has more in mind.

"I feel like the best out of my connection with Em hasn't happened yet," Al told Complex magazine. "Once we get to making music, that's when the world will appreciate that connection. And we haven't really got to that level yet."

"He's a mastermind," Al said of Eminem. "If anything I would bring it to him, load it into him, let him compute the things that I'm going through, the sounds that I'm finding. Let's interpolate this Eminem style ... His sound is so big and cinematic. My sh*t is more stripped down and raw. I think it would make it dope, we'd meet somewhere in the middle. And I know it will happen eventually."

Like Eminem, The Alchemist - who grew up in Beverly Hills and went to school with Angelina Jolie - is one of a minority of white artists in a black-dominated genre. He said the color of his skin posed a problem when he was first hooking up with Queensbridge duo Mobb Deep and a doubtful Prodigy.

"It took a long time until I got down with them to where it was like, 'Yo Al!' [laughs] It was a very long time," he said. "Those guys have a lot of deaths through their circle and they're leery just being from Queens in general. The white and black thing too wasn't like automatic, me being a white dude, just the whole sh*t. P is one of the most skeptical people on the planet. For years he thought I was an FBI agent"

"I swear to God," he continued. "Recently I was like, 'Are you kidding me?' He's like, 'Nah.' So I was like, 'When did you realize I wasn't?' (And he said) 'When I saw you making the beat son!'"

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"American Gangster" Makes $46 Mil Debut, Real Life Characters Say Movie Based On Lies

It's billed as being based on a true story, but real life cops close to American Gangster drug lord Frank Lucas say the movie is more of a fairy tale than true life.

"They claim it's based on a true story," New York-based Drug Enforcement Administration agent Joseph Sullivan told the New York Post. The officer was at a raid on Lucas' Teaneck, N.J., home after two members of the Mafia ratted the drug lord out. "His name is Frank Lucas and he was a drug dealer - that's where the truth in this movie ends."

Lucas, whose character is played by Denzel Washington, admitted to sources that "only 20 percent of the film is true."

Hollywood's version of true stories are expected to have some elements of creative license, but one cop close to the action said it's the studio's depiction of Lucas as being a family man of moral character, that he takes the biggest issue with.

"The parts in the movie that depict Frank as a family man are ludicrous," the real-life Richie Roberts told The Post. Roberts' character is played by Russel Crowe in the film. "They did it for dramatic purposes, you know, to make him look good and me look bad."

According to Roberts, who prosecuted a New Jersey case against Lucas, the dealer wasn't the modest dresser and straight-dealing business man that the movie shows viewers. Roberts called the scene showing Lucas holding hands with his family in a Thanksgiving prayer "sickening."

Sources said Lucas manipulated his family members, moving them from North Carolina to work for him and even putting a hit out on his own brother.

Cops and prosecutors who worked the case said the flick distorts Lucas' role in Harlem's drug scene, and is riddled with untruths, like the involvement of rogue cops and the shipping of heroin in Vietnam caskets.

Lucas was sentenced to 40 years in a 1975 federal case, but only served seven. He claims to have made hundreds of millions of dollars off the drug game and stands to make more money off his story.

American Gangster, crushed the competition at the box office this weekend, bringing in $46.3 million - the highest ever for a modern crime movie. - and further lining Lucas' pockets.

Because he was convicted before the "Son of Sam Law" was enacted, Lucas can make money from his stories of drug exploits.

With a feature film under his belt, the former drug lord plans to merchandise his story with a video game a clothing line and he's in talks for a sequel to the film.

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An African-American man has been charged with the noose vandalism of a Tupac statue at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts.

The center was vandalized early on the morning of October 20. Fliers bearing rants about various rappers, Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were plastered to the Tupac statue and a noose was left hanging around its neck

43-year-old Dekalb resident, Kenneth Anthony Wilson, was charged with the felony, second degree criminal damage to property, on Thursday (Oct. 1), according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Wilson, who is of African-American descent, has not been charged with a hate crime because according to Dekalb Police spokesperson Mekka Parish, the investigators had no reason to believe the crime was motivated by race. Wilson is being held on $1,500 bond.

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Jay-Z Taking Over Sirius Radio Channel

NEW YORK (AP) � Jay-Z is taking over Sirius Satellite Radio's hip-hop channel � for a week. The 37-year-old rap mogul will debut as host of Jay-Z Nation on Monday, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. said Friday. He will take the helm at Hip-Hop Nation channel 40.

Jay-Z's latest album, "American Gangster," will be released Tuesday. The CD takes its title and inspiration from the new movie co-starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe about Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas.

"Jay-Z is one of the pre-eminent creative forces in the music industry," Sirius executive Scott Greenstein said in a statement. "Over the last decade, he has truly changed the face of hip-hop and music culture."

Jay-Z Nation will feature music from the rapper's albums and songs by his favorite hip-hop artists.

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It's no secret that 50 Cent and Murder Inc. helmsman Irv Gotti have beef. Gotti lets loose on the G-Unit General's "tough guy image," questionable features on Curtis, and sales loss to Kanye West.

It might be a stretch to say that Curtis flopped, but the platinum record did at least prove that 50 Cent may need a musical makover. Gotti said the problem is that Fiddy has gone pop.

"As far as his whole tough guy image and him always frontin' like he's the toughest guy, we seen firsthand that he's not the toughest guy. Ya understand?" Gotti said, "As far as music goes it's crazy to me because everything that he put Ja down for, he's become. Everything."

"I remember when (50 Cent) first came out he did an interview and he said Ja Rule's a pop artist and he should just make records with Christina Aguilera," Gotti continued. "Yo look at this n*gga's new album. Yo. Justin Timberlake. Akon. He's a black artist but he's a pop artist. Ya understand. He's getting' beats from will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. Who else is on his album? Robin Thicke."

"You doing records with white boys and they sound better than you on the record," Gotti added. "Like ya know they bodyin' you on the record. Like that's a Justin Timberlake record, that ain't even ya record homie. It should be Timberlake featuring 50."

Gotti said he paid little attention to the 50-Kanye sales race, but thought 50 Cent betting his career on a victory, against an underdog nonetheless, was a bad move.

"I actually thought with that, that he stepped in sh*t and he @#*$ed up," Gotti said. "They of all people should know about David and Goliath. David with his slingshot knock you off of that thing."

Gotti isn't in the business of doling out advice, but did have a few suggestions for the Southside King.

"Duck, that's my advice," he said. "When it comes, duck. Run. When it comes, run. That's the only advice. As far as advice for him and the business? There's no love there so why would I want to give him any advice. I could, but f*ck him."

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Atlanta-based rapper Da Brat was arrested today (November 1) after allegedly striking a waitress in the head with a rum bottle.

The ruckus supposedly happened around 1:20 a.m. this morning at Jermaine Dupri's club, Studio 72, on Lawrenceville Highway, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Dekalb County police spokeswoman Mekka Parish confirmed that the 33-year-old rapper (born Shawntae Harris) was involved in an "altercation involving pushing" with a server at the club.

"According to witnesses, after the pushing, the waitress walked away, and a short time later, that's when Da Brat picked up a bottle and hit the waitress in the face with it," Parish said.

Parish said the rum bottle broke as Brat struck the woman, causing a "deep laceration" to the 23-year-old waitress' cheek. She also suffered swelling to her forehead, and friends took her to a local hospital.

The rapper was arrested at the club, charged with felony aggravated assault, and is currently in custody awaiting her initial appearance which will take place within 72 hours from the arrest time.

The rapper was previously charged with felony aggravated assault for allegedly pistol-whipping someone at the Chili Pepper nightclub in Buckhead. Cops said she beat the woman for sitting in the VIP lounge and not leaving when Brat told her to. The victim suffered a cut on her face that required three stitches. Brat pled guilty to get the charge reduced to misdemeanor reckless conduct. She had to pay $1,000, serve 80 hours of community service and was on probation for a year.

Da Brat made a name for herself with the hit single "Funkdafied" on Jermaine Dupri's imprint, So So Def in the '90s. She has also appeared on reality shows, "Celebrity Fit Club" and "The Surreal Life."

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After being arrested on charges that he conspired to launder money through his highly successful jewelry business, famed jewelry provider Jacob the Jeweler has pleaded guilty to lesser charges in his money laundering case.

Now, according to the Associated Press, the jeweler has pleaded guilty Wednesday (October 31) to the lesser charge of falsifying records and giving false statements to investigators looking into a multi-state drug ring. In return, prosecutors have agreed to drop the money laundering charges against him, his lawyer said.

"I realize I have made a terrible mistake and I accept the consequences of my actions," said the jeweler via a statement.

No sentencing date was immediately set by U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn but the terms of the plea agreement call for Jacob to serve up to 46 months in prison and pay a $2 million penalty, U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Murphy said in a statement. As previously reported the jewelry icon (born Jacob Arobov) was arrested on charges of conspiring to commit money laundering of reportedly up to $270 million for Atlanta-based Black Mafia Family through his Jacob & Co. business. The infamous jeweler was among 16 people indicted by a Michigan District Attorney in May for violating federal drug laws and laundering more than $270 million. Jacob is accused of accepting "dirty" money generated by the Black Mafia Family (BMF) and giving them jewelry in return without reporting the transactions.